“It Absolutely Broke Me” – Minnie Dlamini Opens Up About Divorce and Rediscovering Herself

South African TV star Minnie Dlamini has opened up about the deep emotional pain she went through during her divorce. Speaking as a guest on The Motherhood Podcast, hosted by her childhood friend Nandi Madida, Minnie revealed how the end of her marriage changed both her personal life and her career in ways she never expected.

In the episode, which is set to air this Thursday, Minnie didn’t hold back. She shared how the treatment she received from people after her divorce shocked her — especially in the entertainment industry.

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“That’s where I realised the fundamental shift in how people were treating me in this business. Forget everything that I have done professionally, forget the name that I have built… Then I announced my divorce, and that’s when people felt they were at liberty to disrespect me. It absolutely broke me,” she said.

Minnie said she couldn’t believe how harshly people judged her after she made the announcement. She thought that society had become more understanding, but quickly realised that women are still criticised for broken relationships.

“I thought in this day and age, this is what we still have to deal with. We have to deal with being a pariah because a relationship did not work,” she said sadly.

She spoke about how hard divorce really is, saying it’s not something anyone should take lightly. Even if you’re the one who decides to end things, it’s still painful.

“The thing about divorce — whether the decision was made by you or for you — at the end of the day, it’s such an opportunity for you to find yourself again. With me, I found myself losing a lot of myself in my marriage. I felt like I needed to reduce myself. I felt like I couldn’t fully be myself… what divorce did do was to give me the opportunity to find me again.”

Minnie described the experience as “difficult, painful, ugly, and messy.” She said that divorce often turns two people who once loved each other into enemies. And when a child is involved, it becomes even more heartbreaking.

“There is nothing about it that is great. When there’s a child involved it’s even worse. People co-parent successfully, some people don’t — it’s not pretty,” she added.

But despite the pain, Minnie ended her message with hope. “What is pretty is you get another shot at love again, you get another shot at life again… and at you again.”

Minnie was married to TV producer and director Quinton Jones. They tied the knot in 2017 and announced their divorce in February 2022 through a joint statement. The former couple shares one son.

Through her honest words, Minnie is helping many people understand that divorce, while painful, can also be a chance for healing, rediscovery, and starting fresh.